I've been posting book reviews on my book review blog BookLinker for just under three years now and have now now passed a significant threshold, nay, a Rubicon of sorts...BookLinker is now officially IN THE MONEY!
Yes, after nearly three years, 67 book reviews and approximately 180 hours of work (review writing time, site maintenance etc.), BookLinker has now OFFICIALLY reached the magic number of $10.00 worth of referral fees as an Amazon Affiliate.
Who says you can't make the big bucks blogging?
Why is $10.00 the magic number? It is the minimum amount that Amazon requires before they will actually bother to send a check....
Interestingly enough, the ratio works out to one Amazon purchase for every 1,000 visitors.
Seriously, BookLinker was never started as a money-making enterprise, but as an opportunity for me to mix two things - my love of books and an opportunity to hone my writing skills on something other than marketing materials. The $10.00 is just a nice bonus!
Just to put it in perspective, my blogging efforts have earned me the princely sum of approximately $0.055 per hour.
Here is what I may eventually be able to purchase with my hard-earned Blogging Bucks:
1). My very own private 8.3 acre Bahamian island called Kalabash Cay for a mere US$995,000 or approximately 19.9 million hours of work. At roughly 2.69 hours per written review (plus site maintenance etc), I need to review only another 7,397,702 books.
Oh wait....that calculation doesn't include reading time. Damn.
2). A silver F430 Spider Ferrari for a mere US$198,667. This little toy would have me toil only 3.97-million hours or a miniscule 1,482,589 reviews.
Well the best things in life are free...but the expensive ones are still worth a look.
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
congrats Deano!!
just because I am concentrating on categorizing at the moment: this is a News-type story because you are passing on info about your site/blogging experience rather than giving your opinion on it, and it goes under the Culture section because you are talking about your site rather than about Books per se
Thanks!
2 - Deano
Should I move it by reclassifying it, or would that be in the province of our Exulted Editors?
3 - Mark Sahm
Funny article, Deano. You inspired me to check the all-time earnings for my Google AdSense account. It came out to $10.19! I too feel fulfilled for blogging.
Perhaps the redemption is that it's enough cash for a couple pulls of a slot, some Mega Millions lotto tickets. Feeling lucky?
4 - Deano
DAMN IT MARK! Now you've gone and done it! I was all happy at being over $10 and now YOU'VE RAISED THE BAR!
How in the hell am I going to get to $10.19 and resume my rightful place at the top of the heap?
I am so-o-o-o-o crushed.
5 - Mark Sahm
Deano, if you're really desperate, you can always self-click. But that be seen as a sin by some religions. ;o)
6 - Deano
Self-clicking leads to blindness...or is that an old wive's tale?
7 - Scott Butki
If you're happy and you know, click a link...
Congrats, Deano
8 - Scott Butki
Deano: I was going to respond but can't right noekw; I can barely read your item without getting
9 - Scott Butki
Note to self: Don't try to post at 3 a.m. or else you'll make no sense.